Memory Lane The modern formation - which ex-players fit best?

[Yorkshire Blue]

Bentley
Prior Clark Moody
Francis Butler Maher Pountney Powell
Benjamin Crown

basically anyone but Barrett

A midfield (including wingbacks) that might score as many as two goals a season between them.

Interesting seeing franno get a lot of love.

Yes he clearly went on to do great things but at the time he was subject to some abuse from fans for his apathy (something he admitted himself in interviews)

In Francis’ last season for us he was very good. The earlier seasons were more, shall we say, patchy.

I think this exercise however is more about picking the players most suited to the formation rather than the best and he had all the attributes you’d want from a modern wing-back

If we are playing a 3-4-3 then I’d go:

Gk - Sansome - always seemed pretty comfortable with the ball at his feet (far better at this than Royce (who was the better shot stopper)). Loved a dip of the shoulder round the advancing attacking (I know it failed once (Birmingham at home?) but think he’d fit in as a modern sweeper keeper.

CBS - Barrett left, McNally right. Both comfortable on the ball. Prior centre back. Would probably have Mulgrew left cb over Barrett on ability alone.

Wing backs - Powell (speaks for itself) and Austin right sided.

Centre Midfield - Keith Jones - he would thrive even more in the current game where being diminutive is less of an obstacle in the centre of the park. Mike Marsh - all rounder.

Attackers - Current trend is to invert the wide players which rarely happened back in the day. So I’d go :
Otto on the right (like a better-haired Mo Salah)
Ansah on the left
Collymore down the middle.

If you were playing a more modern 4-3-3 I’d lose Barrett as the extra cb, keep the same wing backs as modern attacking full backs and bring in Gower into the centre of the park.

Honourable mention to Benji who would suit being a modern day 10. You’d probably pick Kightly over Ansah on what they did elsewhere.

Charlie Mulgrew is an awesome shout. What a player he was.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Lenny in the middle, with Woody please.

 

[stewart]

if you was looking for a striker with heading ability ive not seen one better than Roy Hollis in a SUFC shirt. And as someone said John Mckinven the flying Scotsman was often taqlked about as being on the verge of a call up into the Scottish national side ,Sam McCrory had beautiul control and foresight could both score goals and assist ,had an excellent passing range also. What you have to remember is back in those day we played with 5 forwards right and left wingers , inside right and inside left and a centre forward .

 

[Ron Manager]

Andy Ansah on the right hand side of a front three